Album Review by EDF
What do you get when you cross Blade Runner with Kraftwerk and Enigma? Seksu Roba – but they are more pop orientated than other electro acts. The group is made up of Lun*na, a Japanese artist, designer and vocalist and Sukho Lee, a Korean producer and master of the theremin, an instrument that is played without touching. Seeing that this is the group’s second album, there are selections of styles showcased here.
The opening, PLEASURE VIBRATIONS, is where Kraftwerk would be if they slightly changed their style and chords. With a constant driving electro beat, HESITATION and FANTASY brings up more memories of 1980’s electro pop than you would like to admit. LA FREEWAY is a fun pop tune and comes across as an opposite of the slow paced AUTOBAN by Kraftwerk. You know Seksu Roba is just showing off with style on the Bossa Nova flavoured AFTERNOON RENDEZVOUS.
If there is one track on this record that sounds like a sci-fi track, then it has got to be THE NIGHT IS MINE. This is space-disco at its best, thanks to Lun*na’s sensual vocals and the tracks overall bizarre sounds. The lyrically simple TELEPHONE benefits more from an electro-funk backing, making this a very endearing track. UP UP AND AWAY is a slow paced spacey track that could easily fit into the scene from Superman where our hero takes Lois Lane up into the skies for her first flight. The other slow track, THE FLESH IS WEAK, could either be called camp or sensual depending on what mood you are in. MOON SONG sounds more like a strange homage to 1950’s B-movie horror stories than anything to do with the moon.
The tracks here can be a bit strange, even unusual. This group are not your average electro group, who just end up producing predictable tunes. There is a lot more going on here and you get a feeling that they are holding back. Whether they need to break away from their conventional song structure is anybody’s guess but you have to admit that the tracks are enjoyable and accessible. I’m sure that when they are ready, Seksu Roba will show up with a few more interesting tricks up their sleeves.
